Start with what you are actually buying
An investment can involve ordinary shares, preference shares, a convertible instrument, a loan or a stake in a different group entity. The marketing brand may not be the issuer. Put the legal entity and proposed instrument at the top of the review.
Confirm where the money will go and who can bind the company. If the bank recipient, issuing entity and operating business differ, require a clear structure diagram and advice before transferring funds.
- Issuer and company number
- Instrument and investor rights
- Funding recipient and use of proceeds
- Authorised signatories and closing conditions
Use public records to challenge the pitch constructively
Review company age, status, available directors, filings, addresses and charges in chronological order. Compare the timeline with claims about founding date, management tenure, previous funding and operating history.
A discrepancy may have an innocent explanation, such as an earlier unincorporated business or group restructuring. The investor's task is to obtain evidence and make the explanation part of the diligence record rather than silently assuming it is correct.
Public records are only the first diligence layer
Private-company investment usually requires financial, commercial, tax and legal review. Examine the cap table, constitutional documents, shareholder rights, accounts, forecasts, liabilities, IP ownership, key contracts, employees, litigation, regulatory permissions and concentration risks with qualified advisers.
If an investment firm or financial service is involved, use the Central Bank's registers and warnings where relevant. Company incorporation is not financial-services authorisation, and an authorised firm's identity can still be impersonated.
- Independently test revenue and customer claims.
- Understand dilution, liquidation and voting rights.
- Verify IP and key contractual ownership.
- Do not let urgency prevent professional review.
Order the report before advisory costs escalate
The €11.99 company report is an efficient first screen and common baseline for the investor and advisers. It may reveal identity questions early enough to avoid spending heavily on the wrong entity or incomplete opportunity.
It is not an investment recommendation, valuation or solvency opinion. Refresh it before signing or funding and combine it with legal, tax and financial advice appropriate to the amount you could lose.